1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a panel for use as general building materials, such as, for example, a panel for use with a cage of an elevator.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a conventional panel which is used as a wall surface of an elevator cage is quite heavy.
For example, as shown in FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a conventional panel of an elevator has a construction similar to a panel which is disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Utility Model No. 57-120574. Referring to FIGS. 1 to 3, a cage 1 of an elevator includes a doorway 2, a door 3 for opening and closing the doorway 2, a floor 4, and a plurality of vertical panels 5 extending from the floor 4 to form surrounding walls of the cage 1. Each of the panels 5 includes a front plate 51 constituting an essential part thereof. The fron plate 51 is a steel plate and has a cross-sectional shape as shown in FIG. 3 wherein opposite end portions are reversely bent. The panel 5 further includes a thin steel back plate 52 which is bent into corrugated cross-sectional shape. The back plate 52 has faces 52a opposed to a rear face of the front plate 51 and is adhered thereto by means of bonding agent 53.
Each of the panels 5 which have a construction as described above is installed such that the front plate 51 faces the inside of the cage 1 so as to form an inner wall face of the cage 1.
In the conventional cage 1 of the elevator having such a construction as described above, it is necessary for the front plate 51 to have a certain degree of thickness in order to prevent the wall face thereof from being dented by various impact forces caused by collision of a bogie truck carrying a load out of or into the cage 1, of hand baggage, or bicycle, or the like, and to prevent production of noises or the like by small vibrations within the panels upon running of the elevator. As a result, each panel 5 must have a large weight so that normally installation of the panel to the elevator requires two workers. In addition, such panels are large obstacles to reduction of the size and weight of the entire elevator system.